Author Topic: New Bluford Shops "Dented" Gondolas  (Read 17801 times)

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OldEastRR

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Re: New Bluford Shops "Dented" Gondolas
« Reply #150 on: April 18, 2025, 02:25:36 AM »
0
These guys are low riders -- 50' MTL gons sitting next to them look like side-dump hoppers they're so high. It'll take major rework of the underside to get them to match the Blufords. Anybody do that yet?

nkalanaga

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Re: New Bluford Shops "Dented" Gondolas
« Reply #151 on: April 18, 2025, 02:35:28 AM »
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Many years ago, and it isn't hard.  Cut the ends off the underframe casting, build new body bolsters, and body mount 1025 or 1015 couplers.  I prefer 1025, but either will work.  I make my bolsters from Evergreen 0.060x1/8 and 0.030x1/8 strip, thick glued to the floor, a piece of thin on that, drill a 5/64" hole for the pin.  My trick was to use two pieces of the thick stuff, with a 3/32" gap in the middle, then drill the pin hole before gluing the thin piece on.  No hole in the floor that way.

Add a new piece of center sill between the bolster and weight, as a view block, if desired.

The stirrups won't clear body-mounted couplers, so cut the center section out, glue the stirrups in place with something that will hold for a while, then glue styrene blocks to the inside of the end sills to lock the stirrup in place mechanically.  If you're converting a drop-end gondola, the stirrups also hold the end in place, so they're needed.  For a fixed-end car, one could also replace the stirrups with wire or etched parts.
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Mark5

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wazzou

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Re: New Bluford Shops "Dented" Gondolas
« Reply #153 on: April 18, 2025, 11:08:40 AM »
+9
These guys are low riders -- 50' MTL gons sitting next to them look like side-dump hoppers they're so high. It'll take major rework of the underside to get them to match the Blufords. Anybody do that yet?




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jargonlet

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Re: New Bluford Shops "Dented" Gondolas
« Reply #154 on: April 18, 2025, 03:24:34 PM »
+2
I think I stole this idea from @Ed Kapuscinski when he was working on the MTL Conrail mow gondola set a couple of years back. I drill holes in the frames to give the wheels clearance and then swap for BLMA trucks to lower the height and add metal wheels. The height of the gondola is then perfect for the body mount coupler.

nkalanaga

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Re: New Bluford Shops "Dented" Gondolas
« Reply #155 on: April 19, 2025, 12:47:12 AM »
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Wazzou:  I don't know which of our methods would be simpler.  Yours only needs one piece of plastic for the bolster, but mine doesn't involve grinding the floor, just hack the end off.

My method dates to the late 1970s, when I used basswood for the bolsters.  One of those early flatcars (same design) is still in service.  Basswood bolsters, 1025 couplers held together with pieces of toothpicks and glued to the floor, and the original "Kadee" trucks.  It does have ESM wheels, though.

Bryan Bussey's gondola method in the earlier topic is basically the same as mine.
http://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=18363.msg161551#msg161551
« Last Edit: April 19, 2025, 12:51:59 AM by nkalanaga »
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bbussey

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Re: New Bluford Shops "Dented" Gondolas
« Reply #156 on: April 19, 2025, 02:45:16 AM »
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I wrote an article for lowering the MTL flats and gons for NSM back in January 1994.  Lowered the MTL auto racks in NSR November 2007, the MTL appliance boxcars in NSR November 2008, and the MTL 36' reefers in NSR September 2014.

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« Last Edit: April 19, 2025, 02:49:48 AM by bbussey »
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wazzou

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Re: New Bluford Shops "Dented" Gondolas
« Reply #157 on: April 19, 2025, 03:07:56 PM »
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I just wanted to keep as much of the weight as possible, that’s all.
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Ed Kapuscinski

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Re: New Bluford Shops "Dented" Gondolas
« Reply #158 on: April 20, 2025, 11:27:05 AM »
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I just wanted to keep as much of the weight as possible, that’s all.

Yeah that's why I go the "dimple" route. Throw a 1/2" bit in the drill press and just nibble out a bit at a time.

You don't even have to disassemble the car (but you probably should).